Clothes-pounder.



No. 637,53l. Patented Nov. 2!, 1899.

H. 0. SUPER.

CLOTHES POUNDER.

(Application filed Nov. 21, 1895.) (No Model.)

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ATENT Fries.

HUBBELL O. SOPER, OF DIXON, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHES-POUNDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,531, dated November 21, 1899.

Application filed November 21, 1895. Serial No. 589,680 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, I-IUBBELL O. SOPER, of Dixon, in the county of Lee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Founders; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a clothespounder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line a: a: of Fig. 1.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The object of my invention is to provide an efficient clothes-pounder which will enable clothes to be easily and thoroughly cleansed; and more particularly my object is to improve on the clothes-pounder for which United States Patent No. 489,506 was issued January 10, 1893, to myself and W. M. Brown.

To such end my invention consists in the clothes-pounder constructed substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In the carrying of my invention into practice I employ as the main or body portion of my pounder a hollow cone A, which at its upper end is attached to a handle-receiving tube B, that extends centrally through the cone, with its lower end in a plane a short distance above the lower edge of the cone. A short distance above the lower end of said tube there is attached to it the small end of an inverted-cone-like partition 0, whose large end is fastened to the inner side of the cone A at such height that there will be a gentle declivity toward the tube B. The space beneath said partition is divided by several (preferably four) walls D into separate compartments, as shown, and communication between such space and the space above the partition is effected by four small vertical tubes E and E, each of which is preferably located in line with one of the walls D.

Surrounding the tube B within the cone A is a cylinder F of such diameter that an ample annular space is left between them. The upper and lower ends of the cylinder are respectively tapered inwardly or cone-shaped and fastened to the tube B. The lower tapered end of the cylinder, in line with each tube ,E,

is provided with an opening G, and the upper end of said cylinder is in communication with four openings H and H in the cone A. These openings H and H thus communicate directly with the space below the pounder, and to avoid the splashing of water therethrough upon the operator a hood in the form of a conical piece I is attached at its small end to the tube B and at its lower end to the outer side of the cone A by a ring K. The latter, at a point near each opening H, is provided with an opening to establish communication between the outside air and the chamber within the cylinder F.

Surrounding the lower portion of the cylinder F is a ring L, that is conical in shape, whose small upper end is secured to the tube B and whose large lower end is attached to the partition 0. Said ring L is provided with a number of small openings Z and Z in its lower edge, there being, preferably, four of such openings and located so that each will be near a tube E.

In using my pounder upon its descent the air confined within the compartments beneath the partition 0 will be compressed and forced with the suds through the clothes, and of course some of the wash-water will .pass up through the tubes E into the space above said partition, but of course not in such quantity as would be the case were the perforated ring L not present. Any water passing through the cylinder F and escaping out through the openings H H will be effectually prevented from flying or splashing out by the conical hood I and the ring K and will gently pass through the openings 70 and k of the latter down the outside of the cone A. At the instant the lifting of the pounder begins, a plentiful supply of air will pass through the openings 70 and H into and down through the cylinder F and through the tubes E to the space beneath the partition 0, and thus instantly prevent any suction effect due to the partial vacuum in such space. Owing to the employment of the cylinder F, disconnected with the tubes E, each of said tubes E, besides being an air-passage, is available for the drainage of such water as may pass up into the space over the partition 0, and hence the drainage of the water from the pounder can be done most speedily, which, together with the avoidance of suction upon the clothes, lessens most materially the labor of lifting the pounder.

The plentiful supply of air from outside the pounder which is afforded by the employment of the cylinder I and which is at a lower temperature than the water and than the air taken from within the cone A, I have found to be of much benefit in the cleansing of the clothes.

lIaving thus described my invention, what I claim is In a clothes-pounder the combination of the cone-shaped main part provided with openings near the top thereof, the partition above the lower edge thereof extending from the inner side of the main part downward and inward, several walls beneath the partition, the handle-tube extending through said main part, the tubes opening through said partition and alining each with a wall, a cylinder surrounding the handle-tube having its ends tapered and perforated in line with said openings and the tubes which open through the partition and attached to the handle-tube above the partition, a perforated conical ring attached at its small end to the cylinder and at its large end to said partition, a conical hood placed over openings in the upper part of the main cone part, and a perforated ring connecting the lower edge of said hood and the main cone part, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of N0- vcinber, 1895.

HUBBELL O. SOPER.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. E. CHANDLER, WM. B. JOHNSON. 

